Quiver

Overview

Quiver is an indie, sci-fi first-person shooter developed and published digitally by ESD Games (also known as ADvertainment Software) for DOS PCs on March 5, 1997.

A simplistic FPS similar to the Doom series, Quiver tasks players with traveling throughout time, where aliens have used mysterious orbs to establish covert bases on Earth's distant past. Much of the game is using a variety of alien weaponry to defeat them, as well as finding three "Gate Orbs" scattered throughout each of the 27 levels to unlock their exit teleporters.

The game was designed to be played on low-end i486 systems, with an intentionally small file size (2 MB compressed) designed for electronic downloads in the dial-up era. The trial version of the game (which included 3 levels) included the whole game in its entirety, which is unlocked through an included application and its electronic order form. An updated version, known as Quiver P, was designed for more-demanding Pentium systems (although it is believed to be lost media).

Weapons

• Spiker (1, Spikes) - Rapid-fire single-shot spiked-ball blaster. Standard-issue.

• Fajita Maker (2, Fire Balls) - Rapid-fire triple-shot fireball blaster.

• Std. Issue Blaster (3, Blasters) - Five-shot energy blaster.

• Shredder (4, Shredders) - Rapid-fire launcher that fires sticky grenades, which detonate into a 360-degree fireball barrage (that can damage the player).

• Alien's Ripper (5, Alien Ripper Ammo) - Green gauntlet that hurls seven-shot barrages.

• Alien Mech's Blasters (6, Alien Mech Ammo) - Dual white gauntlets that launch seven-shot barrages at a fast rate, at the cost of 10 HP.

• Medusa Sphere (7, unique) - Special orb that cannot be fired like a weapon. Instead, holding it reflects enemy projectiles back at them. Rare to find, and is lost at the end of the level.

• Alien Hell Hands (8, unique) - Dual red gauntlets that launch a 360-degree spinning barrage of shots, at the cost of 10 HP. Rare to find.